When She Woke Up in the Morning
by TwilightPony21
Summary: Callen and Kensi are losing their hearts to each other. Some special appearances by Hetty.
1. I:I This is What I'm Coming Home For

**Hello there. I'm new to writing here. But I have been enjoying many of your stories on this site for quite some time and have been inspired by them. I love NCIS: Los Angeles, especially Kensi and Callen. Please bear with me, as I try to figure out how to post chapters. I hope you like this story, and please review if you have a minute. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

**PART I: This is What I'm Coming Home For**

**-I-**

It was a cool, clear night in Los Angeles, and the lights had just been dimmed at the NCIS Office of Special Projects headquarters. It was late, and most of the team had already gone home. The office was quiet…and then:

"Mr. Callen!"

Callen cringed as Hetty called his name across the bullpen.

Kensi laughed. She was just packing up her bag and on her way out of the office, too. "You must be in big trouble," she teased.

Callen gave her a look and then obediently walked over to Hetty. "You called?"

"Mr. Callen, we must discuss your sleeping habits."

Callen looked at her blankly.

"I'm talking about sleeping on the couch here every night. Don't you think you should find somewhere else to snooze?"

"Hetty, we've been over this…you know I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Well, then, we must find you a place." Hetty adjusted her glasses and spotted Kensi heading for the door. "Miss Blye!"

Kensi cringed just as Callen had. She sighed as she realized how close to the exit she had been, but she turned around and pasted on a dazzling smile. "Yes, Hetty?"

"Don't you have an extra room and an extra bed?"

Kensi's smiled immediately faded. "What?"

"Mr. Callen needs a place to stay."

Kensi looked nervously from Hetty to Callen. "Hetty, I don't think…"

Hetty glared at her.

"Sure," Kensi surrendered. "He can stay with me."


	2. I:II This is What I'm Coming Home For

**-II-**

Callen walked up the front steps of Kensi's apartment and dug out his key. He had been staying here for a couple weeks now, and he had to admit, he liked it. It wasn't too noisy, and it wasn't too quiet. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold. He had his own room and a real bed, and Kensi had a spacious living room and kitchen, which she kept well-stocked with real food. He turned the key in the lock, opened the door, and flipped on the light…completely unprepared for the sight inside.

Kensi was caught in a passionate liplock with a man whose fingers were skirting dangerously close to underneath the hem of her shirt. But as the light went on, Kensi broke away and yelped in surprise.

"Sorry," Callen said quickly. "I didn't know you had…company."

The man eyed Callen suspiciously and then looked at Kensi for explanation.

"Keith, this is Callen," Kensi said. "He's…my roommate."

Keith raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Your roommate?"

"He just needed a place to crash for a little while," Kensi replied, "and I had a spare room."

"Which I'm…just going to go to right now," Callen cut in. His ice blue eyes locked on Keith's, and he gave the other man a level stare. "Nice to meet you."

As Callen entered his room, he dropped his bag on the floor and closed the door. He could still hear Kensi explaining to Keith that he was just her roommate…that's all. Callen leaned back against the door and sighed. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that was bothering him. He couldn't pinpoint it, and it was a good thing that Nate wasn't there. Nate could probably tell in an instant that there was actually another reason why Callen liked staying at Kensi's.

* * *

The next morning, Kensi awoke as the sunlight streamed in her window. She sighed happily and then realized that she smelled blueberry pancakes. As she wandered out into the kitchen, she could hear the sizzle of butter on the stove. The refrigerator door was open, and someone was shuffling things around inside.

"Callen?"

"Yeah?" came the reply from inside the refrigerator. And then the door closed, and Kensi nearly melted at the sight of Callen, shirtless, barefoot, and wearing nothing but jeans, in her kitchen holding a carton of eggs. Her mouth went dry, and she couldn't speak. His broad shoulders, his muscled arms, his sculpted chest…complete with five ugly bullet-shaped scars.

"Thought I'd make you breakfast," he said.

Kensi recovered quickly. "It smells great…I never knew you could cook."

"You always underestimate me," he said with mock indignation. He flipped a pancake onto a plate, added another heaping scoop of blueberries as topping, and set the plate down in front of Kensi. He noticed her skeptical look and smirked. "Go ahead, try it."

As Kensi cautiously bit into a pancake, she was surprised to find that it was soft and sweet, and it almost melted in her mouth. "Wow," she said.

Callen sat down with his own plate on the other side of the table. "So where's your friend Keith? He didn't stay the night?"

Kensi shot him a nasty look. "No, he didn't," she replied.

"Oh, I just thought since you guys looked kinda serious last night…"

Kensi blushed, and she tried to glare at him disapprovingly. But then she saw the twinkle in his blue eyes and smiled. He was teasing her. "We've only gone out a few times," she explained.

"A few times?" Callen repeated. "So you went on a second date with this guy? Wow, Kenz, this is serious."

"It's not THAT serious," she insisted. "Well, he is taking me to a formal ball tonight."

"And Cinderella meets her prince," Callen quipped.

"Oh, shut up." Kensi stood up and cleared her plate.

"Hey, be nice to me…I made you breakfast," he protested.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kensi walked off to her bedroom and closed the door. She sighed, as she glanced at the fancy blue dress that hung in her closet. She was looking forward to the ball and knew that Keith would look extremely handsome in his tuxedo. But for some reason, she couldn't get her mind off the man who had just made her breakfast.


	3. I:III This is What I'm Coming Home For

**-III-**

Early that evening, Kensi and Callen sat at their desks in the bullpen, finishing up some last minute paperwork. The rest of the team had disappeared, probably already gone out for drinks, and both of them sat in silence as they tapped a few keys on their laptops and scribbled away with freshly sharpened pencils. Just then, a little lady with round, black glasses appeared in front of them.

"Miss Blye, I have a gift for you."

Kensi looked up, and Hetty handed her a long black jewelry box. "For the ball," she said.

Kensi could feel Hetty and Callen's eyes on her as she cautiously opened the box. She gasped. Inside was the most beautiful shiny pearl necklace. "Oh, Hetty…" she began.

"The finest, most perfect natural pearls from the deepest point in the ocean," Hetty explained.

"Aren't you supposed to give her glass slippers and a pumpkin carriage?" Callen asked.

Hetty glared at him, and Callen recoiled.

"Hetty, I can't take your pearls," Kensi said.

"No, no, dearie, they're for you to wear to the ball. They're magical…" Hetty lowered her voice and added secretively, "They will tell you when you find your Prince Charming."

Kensi looked at Hetty skeptically, but the little lady did not say anything further. And Kensi couldn't help but feel that her words weren't quite as crazy as they sounded.

"I have something for you, too, Mr. Callen," Hetty said.

"I don't look good in pearls, Hetty."

Callen winced as Kensi punched him playfully.

"Not pearls, Mr. Callen. Come with me."

Kensi chose that moment to make her exit. "Well, I'd love to stay and watch, but I have to go get ready for the ball."

"You're leaving me alone with her?" Callen hissed.

"You're an armed federal agent!" Kensi shot back.

"Mr. Callen!"

Kensi couldn't help but laugh as Callen clenched his fists and strode off into Hetty's office.

* * *

WHAM!

Kensi jumped as her front door slammed. "Callen?" she called.

"What?"

"Everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah."

"What did Hetty want?"

"Expense reports. Piles and piles of expense reports."

Kensi winced as she heard a loud thud, probably the stack of expense reports hitting her coffee table. She ran a brush through her hair one more time and examined her reflection in the mirror. She just had to add one more touch…Hetty's pearls.

She walked out into the living room where she had left the jewelry box and found Callen flopped on the couch, scowling at the pile of paperwork. Kensi tried to stifle a giggle, as she really couldn't blame him…it _was_ a giant stack of paperwork.

But when he caught his first glimpse of her, all thoughts of paperwork fled his mind. For once in his life, Callen was speechless. The floor-length blue dress hugged and accentuated her curves in all the right places. The neckline dipped low, and the sparkly sequins shimmered in the light, making her look even more radiant. Her wavy brown hair tumbled down her bare back, and a few loose tendrils framed her beautiful face.

"Kenz," he finally managed in a whisper. "You look…amazing."

"Thanks," she replied. She opened the jewelry box and fiddled with the clasp on the pearl necklace. She gave up quickly and turned to Callen. "Can you…help me?"

Wordlessly, Callen got up off the couch and took the necklace. Kensi turned around and held her hair out of the way. She tried to ignore the electric sparks that ran through her as his fingers brushed against her neck. The clasp clicked. "All set," he said softly.

Kensi turned around to face him. "Thanks." Her eyes met his, and for a moment, neither of them said a word. Kensi could feel a strange heat flooding her body, and it almost felt like Callen's blue eyes were piercing a hole through her heart.

"I better go," Kensi said, in a voice so soft that Callen could barely hear her.

"Yeah," he said. "Good night, Kensi."

"Good night, Callen."

And then she quickly walked out the door, leaving Callen alone…with his paperwork.

* * *

Late that night, Kensi quietly slipped in her front door. In the dim moonlight, she saw Callen fast asleep on her couch. She smiled as she glanced at the paperwork on the coffee table…it didn't look like Callen had gotten very far. She went to her room and quietly began undressing for bed. As she removed Hetty's pearls, she realized that she could still feel the electricity where Callen had touched her. She set the pearls back in their box and studied them for a minute. Is this what Hetty meant? Kensi couldn't help but think that maybe…just maybe…her Prince Charming hadn't been at the ball tonight. Instead, he was fast asleep on her couch.


	4. I:IV This is What I'm Coming Home For

**-IV-**

Eric's sharp whistle rang out over the bullpen. "Callen, Sam, Kensi," he yelled from above. "The director is on the system for the three of you."

"What did you do?" Sam grumbled at Callen.

"Now why do you automatically assume I did something wrong?" Callen shot back.

The two men looked at each other, then at Kensi, and then back at each other. "We'll blame Kensi," they said in unison.

Kensi glared at both of them. "What? No way. I'm not taking the blame for some ridiculous stunt the two of you pulled..."

The three of them continued bickering to the top of the stairs and then entered the room to see Director Vance on screen.

"Agents Callen and Hanna," he began. "We have a situation in Russia."

The giant display was split so that another video could play alongside Vance's communication feed. It was dark and a little blurry, but they could distinctly hear massive gunfire and hysterical screaming.

"A terrorist cell," Director Vance explained.

"In Russia?" Sam asked.

"We don't know why, but we need to find out. Who are they? Where are they from? How long have they been there? Why are they just becoming active now? And what do they want? Callen, Sam, you will fly out tomorrow night. I need you stationed in Russia to infiltrate this cell. Prepare yourself, you could very well be gone undercover for the next year. Agent Blye?"

Kensi looked up.

"You will take over all operations in L.A. While Callen and Sam are gone, you will lead this team."

Kensi met her teammates' eyes and felt her heart plummet into her stomach. "Yes, sir," she said.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Kensi was sitting at her desk, just thinking.

Suddenly, someone's fingers snapped in front of her face. "Hey!" Callen scolded. "What would the director think if he saw his new senior field agent sleeping on the job?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "I'm not sleeping," she retorted. "I'm thinking."

Callen hoisted himself up on the corner of her desk. "About what?"

"An undercover op in Russia for a whole year," she said.

"Maybe less than that," Callen pointed out.

"Maybe more," she countered.

Callen didn't answer. He knew what she said was true. When he spoke again, he tried to sound encouraging. "Come on, Kensi, this is your chance. No one else can lead this team like you can. You have to keep Dom and Eric and Nate in line." Callen paused for dramatic effect. "And Hetty," he added with a grin.

Even Kensi cracked a smile at that.

But Callen could sense that she was still worried. "Look, how about I bring you dinner tonight?" he asked. "Chinese? On me?"

Kensi sighed, but she had to admit Chinese food sounded good. "Sure."

"Okay." He hopped off her desk. "Chinese takeout and red wine, at your doorstep at seven."

* * *

Kensi hurried up the front steps of her apartment and unlocked the door. She was feeling a little better, probably because Callen would be there any minute with red wine and Chinese takeout. _Mmmm,_ Kensi thought. _Does he know the way to a girl's heart, or what?_ And then she felt her heart jolt. _A year in Russia_, she thought. _A whole year. And no guarantee that he'll come back alive._

Kensi had barely gotten inside when suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Certain that it was Callen with his hands full of food, Kensi swung open the door. "That was fast," she said.

But it wasn't Callen.

"Keith?" she exclaimed.

"Hey, baby," he said, stepping in the door and giving her a quick kiss.

Kensi was surprised. "What are you doing here?" For some reason, Kensi felt slightly annoyed. If she had been honest with herself, she had been very much looking forward to spending the evening with Callen…alone.

"Do I need an excuse to come see my girl?" Keith asked.

Kensi crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes," she said.

"Well, actually, I just came to tell you that I will be leaving on a business trip to Washington, DC tomorrow night."

"Oh." Suddenly, Kensi felt something inside of her burst. Callen was leaving, and now so was Keith. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Kensi, what's wrong?" Keith asked. "I'll only be gone for a week."

"A week?" she repeated. "One…week…" She could not stop her eyes from watering.

"Oh, baby, it's okay," Keith murmured. He leaned down and kissed her softly. And then his kisses became deeper. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down the hallway to her bedroom. And Kensi let him do it. She realized how sad she was, and Keith's kisses were only a slight consolation, but they were enough.

At that moment, Callen came through the front door with a bag of Chinese food and a bottle of Kensi's favorite red wine. He set them both down on the kitchen table and took a couple of glasses out of the cabinet.

"Kensi?" he called. He walked down the hallway towards her room. "Kenz, I'm here—"

Callen stopped short as he stumbled upon Kensi and Keith involved in some serious foreplay on Kensi's bed. Her blouse was unbuttoned, and Keith's lips were moving dangerously fast while his hands were buried in her wavy brown locks. Stunned at the sight before him, Callen felt a painful stabbing inside his chest. He felt his anger boiling at the fact that another man was touching Kensi so intimately, and yet he could not look away.

It was only as Kensi rolled her head to the side to allow Keith better access to her neck that she saw Callen standing in the doorway. She gasped and pushed Keith away from her as she pulled her blouse closed.

Callen immediately averted his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered, turning away and heading back down the hall.

Kensi finished buttoning her blouse and looked at Keith apologetically. "Keith, I gotta go," she said. "I'm sorry."

Keith was disappointed that she had stopped their little session. "Go where?" he asked.

"Callen and I have work to do tonight," she lied. "Expense reports for our operations manager."

Keith sighed. "Okay."

Kensi walked him to the door and forced a smile. "I'll see you later," she said.

Keith dropped one more light kiss on her lips. "See you in a week," he said.

Kensi closed the door behind him, and she could feel Callen's eyes watching her from the kitchen. She turned around to face him, but he didn't say a word. He just handed her a glass of red wine.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm sorry…Keith just showed up unexpectedly…"

"Don't worry about it," Callen said, trying not to sound as bitter as he felt. He scooped a generous helping of lo mein into a bowl and handed it to Kensi.

She took it but kept her eyes trained on him. "You're mad?" she asked.

Callen considered that question for a moment. He knew that Kensi had a right to date whomever she wanted, and if Keith made her happy, then how could he be angry? "No," he finally said. "I'm not mad."

Kensi studied him, as she didn't quite believe him. He picked up his bowl of lo mein, and she followed him into the living room where they both collapsed on the couch. The ugly stack of expense reports stared back at them.

"I told Keith we were working on expense reports," Kensi said.

Callen looked at her. "That better be a lie."

"It was," she assured him. She could see the hint of a smile on his lips.

"Good." He took a sip of wine and reached for the television remote. "Movie?" he asked.

"Sure."

As the two of them settled in on the couch with food, drink, and a movie, Callen marveled at just how natural it felt to spend his evening with Kensi. And as he stole a glance at the beautiful woman sitting next to him, Callen realized that he wasn't mad anymore. No, the painful feeling inside of him was not anger, but a very small piece of his frozen heart starting to thaw.


	5. I:V This is What I'm Coming Home For

**Thank you all for reading, for adding to favorites/alerts, and for reviewing. I love hearing from you. We are almost finished with Part I now, but I hope you stick around for Part II! And I hope you like this chapter. Thanks again!**

* * *

**-V-**

The next night, Hetty found Callen in the back hallway, sitting on the bench, looking thoughtful.

"So," she began. "You leave tonight."

Callen nodded. "Yeah."

"And shouldn't you be packing?"

Callen nodded again. "Yeah."

Hetty sat down beside him. "But instead, you choose to sit here in the back hallway staring into space."

"Hetty, last time I went to Russia," Callen began, "it was different. I was young…and headstrong…"

"When do we get to the part that's different?" Hetty asked.

Callen just shook his head. "I didn't think, and I didn't care," he continued. "It didn't matter what happened to me…because I had nothing to come home for."

"Ahhh," Hetty said thoughtfully. "But now you have something?"

Callen sighed. Even though he had convinced himself that he wasn't mad anymore, he was still haunted by the image of Kensi wrapped in Keith's arms with his lips caressing her neck and his hands about to tear off her clothes. _That's what she wants_, Callen told himself. She wants the handsome man who courts her in a world of fancy ball gowns and tuxedos, not the scruffy NCIS agent in a plain old shirt and jeans who's going to leave her for a year to risk his life fighting terrorists on the other side of the world.

"No," Callen decided firmly. Hetty could see his jaw clench and his eyes turn into blue ice. "You're right, Hetty. This time isn't any different." He stood up abruptly and slung his bag over his shoulder. "I have to go pack."

"Mr. Callen," the little lady called after him. "Have you…talked to her?"

"There's nothing to talk about," he replied. And then he walked away.

* * *

"Miss Blye!"

Kensi was just finishing up her report when she heard Hetty's voice.

"Miss Blye, what are you doing?"

"Finishing my report," Kensi said defensively.

"Miss Blye, how can you be sitting here doing paperwork when the man you love is getting on a plane in a matter of hours without ever knowing how you feel about him?!"

Kensi laughed. "Hetty, he's only going to DC, and he'll be back in a week."

Hetty glared at her through her glasses. "Keep telling yourself that, dearie," she scowled. And then she stormed off.

Kensi stared after her. What? She couldn't mean…wait, how did Hetty _do_ that? Kensi sighed in frustration. She was an undercover agent and spent every day making people believe in her illusions. And yet every time she tried to deceive herself to protect her broken heart, somehow Hetty could see right through her. Kensi looked back down at her report and quickly closed the booklet. There was something else she had to do that night.


	6. I:VI This is What I'm Coming Home For

**Wow, this chapter went through quite a few incarnations. I hope you like the way it turned out. I'm also hoping to have the beginning of Part II posted by this weekend. Thanks so much for reading, and please review if you have a chance!**

* * *

**-VI-**

Kensi found Callen in her apartment, in his empty room. Packing obviously hadn't taken very long, as almost all of his belongings fit into one bag. The only thing left was his sleeping bag which was currently sprawled out over the bed. Kensi assumed he would try to get a few hours' sleep before catching his top secret redeye flight to Russia.

He turned and saw her standing in the doorway. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hi."

He took a step closer. "Thanks for letting me stay here," he said. "It definitely beats the office couch any day."

Kensi smiled. "Any time," she replied. "It'll still be here when you come home."

There was an awkward pause, as Callen and Kensi stared at each other silently, letting those words hang in the air between them. _When you come home_…they both knew that the unspoken translation was _if you come home_.

Maybe they didn't want to admit it yet. Maybe they just wanted to deny it for a little longer. For two people who had said a lot of goodbyes in life, neither of them knew how to start this one.

The lamp in the room flickered and cast a soft shadow across Callen's handsome face. In the dim light, Kensi felt the heat of his gaze and realized just how easily she could get lost in his eyes. They were filled with so much loneliness and guarded pain and something else that had taken hold of Kensi's heart and wasn't letting go.

No, she couldn't deny it any longer. The clock was ticking...he would be gone in a few hours. _Not enough time_, she thought. Not enough time to tell him everything else unspoken...not enough time to tell him that she was falling for him. She swallowed hard, as she felt her pulse accelerate, and she could have sworn that the temperature was rising in the room.

And then…barely audibly…Callen whispered, "I'll miss you, Kenz."

Kensi almost broke. "Oh, Callen…"

Before she could continue, he closed the distance between them and captured her lips with his. Kensi felt his arms wrap around her waist, and she melted into him, as his lips ravaged hers with a hunger and a need that Kensi returned right back.

Entangled in each other's arms, the two of them collapsed onto the bed. Her lips were warm and soft, and she was driving Callen wild. His fingers ran through her wavy brown hair as his lips traveled down her neck, trailing a line of kisses along her collarbone. Kensi closed her eyes and could feel his roughly shaven jaw brushing against her cheek as he kissed his way back up alongside her ear.

"Kensi," he whispered in her ear, his voice thick with desire. "I can't stop."

"Don't stop," she pleaded breathlessly.

And at that command, both of them began to shed layers of clothing. And late into the night, they both lost themselves to their passion.

* * *

The moon was still at its peak in the sky when Callen awoke from his light sleep. Kensi was nestled in his arms, and they were both wrapped in his sleeping bag. He ran a hand along her bare back and pressed a gentle kiss to her shoulder, reveling in the sensation of her silky skin. Callen felt his heart hammer inside his chest as the night's memories flooded his mind…the tender kisses, the soft caresses, his hands against her hips, both of their bodies moving in perfect unison with each other.

With those thoughts, Callen reluctantly untangled himself from Kensi and quietly pulled on his clothes. As he hoisted his bag over his shoulder, he stopped in the doorway and glanced back at Kensi. At that moment, Callen decided that there was never a more beautiful sight than his girl sleeping peacefully in his bed. _This is what I'm coming home for_, he thought.

And then he was gone.


	7. II:I When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Welcome back for Part II! I know this is very short, but it had to set the stage. I sort of feel like I need the signature reel of rapid black and white freeze frames for this intro, complete with sound effects…what do you think? :) ****The next chapter should be up in a little while. Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always!**

* * *

**PART II: When She Woke Up in the Morning**

**-I-**

Squish. Squish. Squish. Squish. The only sound that could be heard in the long underground corridor was the heavy tread of the lone soldier's combat boots. The ground was damp, and a moldy, musty scent permeated the air. The soldier wound his way through a maze of tunnels until he reached one that ended at a giant wooden door enforced by steel bars.

He spoke to the guardsmen in Russian. "Open the door," he said. They obeyed.

The soldier entered the dark dungeon and stopped at the sight in front of him. Deep in the shadows, chained to the rocky wall with strong metal shackles, shirtless with fresh wounds on his chest, was his prisoner. And if his prisoner had been able to see under the soldier's black mask, he would have seen a crooked smile and an evil glint in his eyes.

"Talk," the soldier ordered, still speaking in Russian. He knew his prisoner understood the language.

The man chained to the wall looked up at him with tired – but murderous – blue eyes. "Kill me," he replied.

The soldier bellowed in anger and slashed the other man's chest with his knife, opening new wounds and reopening old ones. The prisoner roared in pain as the blood slowly dripped down his body, the red liquid connecting the five gunshot scars on his chest.

The soldier turned and stormed out of the dungeon. "You will talk," he commanded in a deep, threatening tone. "And then you will die…Agent Callen."

With those words, the heavy wooden door slammed and locked behind him.


	8. II:II When She Woke Up in the Morning

**-II-**

"And it's a beautiful day here in sunny Los Angeles, California…"

Kensi hit the off button on her alarm clock and stretched sleepily. The early morning sunlight touched her eyes, and she sighed contentedly. She had been having the most amazing dream about a certain blue-eyed NCIS agent. _Stop it_, she scolded herself. She was surprised that she had even been dreaming about him, as she had been trying so hard to shut him out of her mind. But eleven months later, she still could not forget him.

Realizing that she was going to be late for work and Hetty would have her head, Kensi reluctantly left the warmth of her bed and headed for the shower. When she finished, she had every intention of going straight back to her bedroom and getting dressed. But something drew her to the second bedroom that morning. She hadn't set foot in there since that night…that one night eleven months ago that she and Callen had shared the same bed.

The door creaked as she opened it, and she glanced around the empty room. His sleeping bag still lay on the bed where he had left it so long ago. After that night, when she had woken up the next morning, the heat of his body was gone, but she had still been wrapped in his sleeping bag and could still inhale his scent. She hadn't moved it since.

This morning Kensi sat down on the edge of the bed and hugged the towel around her body. In eleven months, she hadn't heard anything about the top secret mission in Russia. She tried not to think about it and had gotten pretty good at pushing it out of her mind. If Hetty knew anything about it, she didn't say. And so Kensi was left to wonder.

But she knew there was a reason why she had called Keith in Washington and broken it off that next morning. She had been rather blunt, and she didn't regret it, so there was another reason why her heart still felt so empty. But as she had done so many times before, Kensi had simply constructed the usual iron walls around her fragile heart. She didn't expect – eleven months later – that those walls would be on the verge of crumbling. And so today she allowed herself a minute to think about the handsome NCIS agent who made her knees weak and put butterflies in her stomach. She wondered if he was okay…and if he ever thought about her.

That was all she allowed herself to indulge in, though. She quickly stood up and went to her bedroom. She threw on some clothes, grabbed the stack of expense reports for Hetty, and headed out the door to headquarters.

* * *

"Hey, guys," Kensi greeted as she walked into the bullpen.

Dom, Nate, and Eric were all sitting there, looking at her curiously.

"What?" Kensi asked.

"Hetty wants to see you," Nate said quietly.

Kensi looked towards Hetty's office, but the little lady wasn't there.

"She's upstairs," Eric explained. "With the director. On the system."

"It's confidential," Dom added.

Kensi gave the three of them a suspicious glare. Over the last eleven months, they had all quickly accepted her as the new head agent, and for the most part, they let her call the shots. Or rather, shoot the ducks. But every so often, they still liked to cause her trouble. And sending her into the ops center alone to meet Hetty definitely meant trouble.

Kensi tossed her bag on her chair and headed up the stairs. She entered the ops room and saw Hetty glance at her with a worried expression. And then she looked on the screen. Director Vance was on one side, and a very familiar looking man was on the other.

"Sam!" Kensi exclaimed.

"I need a fully trained undercover agent, Director," Sam was saying. He suddenly noticed Kensi on his screen. "I need her."

"What's going on?" Kensi asked.

"These soldiers are planning to launch homing missiles within the next 48 hours," Sam said. "Director, we know their targets…it could devastate cities all over the world. And we know where they're hiding…we just have to get a couple of agents in there to deactivate their system."

"Where's Callen?" Kensi asked.

Sam hesitated. "He…uh…they're holding him hostage in their underground cavern."

Kensi felt her heart drop into her stomach.

"It was an undercover op gone wrong," Sam said quickly. "That's why I need you, Kensi. To get him out."

Kensi looked at Hetty and Director Vance. The pleading look in her eyes said it all.

"Leon," Hetty began…but she didn't need to.

The director sighed in surrender. "Agent Blye, your flight will leave in one hour."

"Yes, sir."

And then the screen went blank.

* * *

Kensi was just zipping up her bag and heading out to meet the plane when she turned and saw Hetty standing near the door.

"Bring him home," Hetty said in an oddly gentle tone.

"I will."

"And bring Sam, too."

Kensi started walking out the door. "I will."

"And while you're at it, bring yourself home, too."

But Kensi didn't hear her.


	9. II:III When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Some pretty crazy stuff going on in this chapter…I really hope you like it. Thanks so much for reading, and please let me know what you think!**

* * *

**-III-**

"There are two control rooms that we have to physically deactivate…we can't do it remotely," Sam said. He hadn't wasted any time from the moment Kensi's plane touched down on the runway. Now he and Kensi stood in a small office, examining an electronic map on his laptop. Sam pointed to two different squares outlined in black. "They're not close, so we're gonna have to split up. Kensi, if you take this one from the back…" Sam pointed to the square deepest into the cavern. "I'll take the other one from the front. We deactivate them, and then we join up here…" Sam outlined a path. "And we get G outta there."

"How do you know he's there?" Kensi asked.

"We know they have an old bunker in the center," Sam explained. "It's always been used as a dungeon for prisoners."

Kensi studied the map silently. She didn't want to ask her next question, but she had to. "How do you know he's still alive?" She thought she heard her voice crack on the last word, but she wasn't sure.

Sam looked at her worriedly. "We don't," he admitted. "We stop the missiles first." He thought he saw something flash in Kensi's eyes. "You ready?"

Kensi nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

As Sam and Kensi approached the cavern, Kensi gulped at the sight of the colossal rock formation. According to Sam's map, there was an elaborate system of rooms and corridors underground, but the cavern also stretched far above into the sky. From their vantage point, Kensi could see the front and back entrances, two black holes that seemed to lead to nowhere. She turned to Sam and tried to give him a confident smile. He nodded back at her and mouthed the words, _let's do it!_

Kensi quickly moved towards the back entrance, her gun drawn by her side. She disappeared into the corridors and stealthily wove her way to the cavern center. As she approached the control room, she peeked around the corner and saw several soldiers crowded around a large screen. They were focused intensely on some sort of tracking system, and they were punching numbers that looked suspiciously like geographical coordinates into the computer. _The detonator_, Kensi thought.

Suddenly, the screen started beeping loudly. The soldiers shouted at each other in Russian, and even though Kensi didn't understand their words, she could tell that they were trying to figure out how their missiles had been deactivated in the first control room. _Sam_, she thought. Now it was her turn. Kensi took a deep breath, raised her gun, spun out from behind the rock, and pulled the trigger.

As her bullets ricocheted off the screen, the computer sizzled and sputtered. The soldiers ran for cover, and they only noticed Kensi just as she let one last bullet fly into the center of the electronic device. It was the command center, and as the bullet sliced through the wires, the entire computer went up in flames. Hot black smoke spilled out of the chamber, the rocky sides of the cavern began to shake, and the stalactites on the ceiling fell to the ground like daggers.

Kensi whirled around and ran.

* * *

"Kensi!" Sam bellowed.

But his voice was lost in the explosions. He couldn't see through the dust and smoke. Sam squared his shoulders and prepared to charge straight down the corridor anyway. No way was he leaving his teammates behind. But suddenly, with a giant crash, the decision was made for him. The ceiling caved in, and an impenetrable wall of rock stood between Sam and the path to the dungeon.

Immediately, Sam turned and raced out of the cavern. He had to hope that the back entrance was still clear. He dodged a falling boulder and escaped into the daylight…and not a moment too soon, as Sam heard a second layer of rock come crashing down behind him.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kensi raced down the back corridor, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear heavy footsteps and a chain of explosions following her. The ground was shaking beneath her, and she leapt to the side as a deep trench split the path in two.

As she turned the next corner, she suddenly saw the door she was looking for. The heavy dungeon door was unguarded now. It had splintered under the quaking cavern, and it didn't take much strength for Kensi to bash it in. She glanced behind her and did not see the soldiers yet, so she quickly slipped inside the dark dungeon.

Kensi could not contain her strangled cry of surprise as she laid eyes upon the prisoner shackled to the wall. Even in the dim light, with the cavern walls trembling, she would know him anywhere…her teammate…her leader...the man she had lost her heart to.

"Callen," she whispered. She cautiously reached up to touch his face. He was scruffier, and dirtier, and streaked with blood, but it was him.

Callen could hear a soft voice speaking to him. He tried to open his eyes. He hadn't heard that voice in so long, and he wanted to see the beautiful face that it belonged to. He felt her gentle touch against his face, and he tried to speak. Her name caught in his throat, but the small exhalation was all that Kensi needed to see that he was alive.

Suddenly, Kensi felt two rough hands on her shoulders, yanking her backwards. With lightning quick reflexes, she spun around and found her gun pointed directly at a Russian soldier's face.

"Who are you?" the soldier demanded, in halting English with a heavy accent.

"NCIS," Kensi informed him bluntly.

"What do you want?"

"I just want to bring my agent home," Kensi replied.

"No," the soldier said defiantly. "He is more than your agent. The way you look at him…the way you touch him…what is he…your lover?"

Kensi set her jaw. She knew he was playing a dangerous psychological game with her.

"Ahhhh," he taunted knowingly. "He _is_ your lover. Well, then, you can both die here together in this cozy little cavern…that is what you call romantic, no?"

Kensi could feel her rage building, but she stayed calm. She gave the soldier a cool stare and raised her gun to his face.

"I would not do that if I were you." The soldier's gun was aimed straight at Callen's heart. "Unless you want him to die." The soldier cocked his gun and glanced over at Kensi to see her reaction. That was his fatal mistake.

Kensi took that opportunity to knock the gun from his hand and tackle him to the ground. The earth shook, not from the force of their bodies, but from the entire cavern getting ready to explode. Kensi coughed as the dust engulfed her. The smoke was burning her eyes, making them tear painfully, but she did not miss her target as her fist collided with the soldier's jaw.

With a frustrated growl, the soldier threw Kensi off him and tried to get to his feet. Kensi recovered quickly and launched herself on his back, pinning him back down to the ground and holding him just out of reach of his gun.

Furious that he could not reach his gun, the soldier whipped out his knife and slashed Kensi's arm. Kensi yelped in pain and stumbled backwards. The soldier immediately grabbed her in a forceful headlock and squeezed with all his strength against her throat.

Kensi gasped and sharply elbowed him in the stomach. His grip loosened, and she flipped him over her shoulder. The soldier hit the ground, and rocks from the sides of the cavern started to fall.

As the earth shook beneath her, Kensi was also knocked to the ground, but her gun was only an arm's length away. With a burst of energy fueled by a fierce adrenaline rush, she lunged for her weapon. The soldier loomed above her to drive his knife through her stomach when she flipped herself over and rapidly fired two bullets into his heart. He fell to the ground on top of her, the blood oozing onto her hands as she yanked the keys to Callen's shackles off the soldier's belt.

The underground cavern was rumbling. The noise was deafening, and dust and debris were falling from the ceiling. Kensi was coughing hard, as the smoke was suffocating her, and she could barely see, as it was also blinding her. She hurriedly flipped through the keys on the ring, trying them all in the locks that bound Callen to the wall.

She saw his eyes starting to fade, and his head begin to droop. "Don't you dare, Callen!" she screamed at him. "Don't you dare die on me!" She tilted his head back and kissed his lips hard, as if she were breathing the will to live into him.

She heard the click of the key, and the chains fell from his right arm. She quickly unlocked his left arm and braced him against her shoulders. "Come on," she said softly, although she doubted he could hear her over the cascade of explosions. With all of her remaining strength, Kensi dragged Callen out of the deep dungeon and through the maze of underground corridors.

Through the thick smoke, she could see a faint glimmer of light from the back exit. _Almost there_, she thought. At that moment, a large section of rock fell from above and smashed into Kensi's head. Now her own blood began trickling down the side of her face, and she stumbled as her vision clouded.

As she emerged from the tunnel in a cloud of smoke, Kensi saw a tall black man rushing towards her. She felt the weight of the man she was carrying being lifted from her shoulders. She felt herself being dragged forwards. She heard the cavern behind her collapsing into the earth. And then she promptly blacked out.


	10. II:IV When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Hello all! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. As always, thank you all for reading and reviewing…you are all awesome! And so I humbly offer you this chapter…the aftermath…**

* * *

**-IV-**

Callen blinked. All he could see was a white ceiling. His throat felt scratchy, and his chest felt tight, and he was breathing through funny tubes. He could feel the IV in his arm, and he could hear a steady beeping noise in the background. He tried to sit up when he heard Sam's voice:

"Whoa, whoa, G, don't move."

Of course Callen continued to try to sit up.

Suddenly, Sam was standing over him. "Do you ever listen?" he asked, annoyed.

Callen's chest was burning in pain, and he finally thought better about sitting up. He leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes.

Sam immediately softened. "You're in the hospital, G. You and Kensi really busted yourselves up."

_Kensi_. Callen's eyes shot open again. "Where is she?" he asked. He thought his voice came out funny, as he couldn't speak very well through the tubes, but Sam seemed to understand.

"She's right here, on the other side of the curtain," he said.

"Can I see her?" Callen struggled to sit up again.

"No, for once in your life, you're going to stay put in that bed. I'm tired of having a partner who has more bullet holes in him than the bad guys."

"I didn't get shot," Callen argued.

"You got sliced and diced and almost blown up…same thing," came the grumpy reply.

"Sam," Callen said warningly. He tried rolling over to see if that would help him get up. It didn't.

"You're not gonna give up, are you?"

"Not until you let me see her."

Sam rolled his eyes, but he walked over and pulled back the curtain. With great effort, Callen turned his head to gaze upon his beautiful savior. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, but she was attached to an IV and oxygen tubes like Callen, and her head was bandaged in thick gauze. Only the steady beeping of her heart monitor assured Callen that she was still alive.

"How is she?" Callen asked quietly.

"She'll be okay," Sam replied. "She's tough…I think she'll be fine when she wakes up in the morning."

* * *

Late that night, Callen lay awake in the hospital bed. He wasn't attached to quite as many tubes anymore, but the stitches in his chest were uncomfortable. And he hated hospitals, and he couldn't sleep. Not to mention that he couldn't keep his mind off the woman who lay in the other bed on the other side of the curtain.

Suddenly, he had to see her. He lifted his head and saw Sam sleeping soundly on the cot across the room. He was going to have to be quiet. If Sam saw him getting out of bed, Callen had no doubt that his partner would throw him back in bed and chain him there.

Slowly and silently, Callen rose from the bed. He stifled a cry of pain as he realized how sore he was. Every bone in his body seemed to crunch with every step, and every knife mark on his chest throbbed with every movement. He was hurting so much that it almost made him dizzy. But as he slipped behind the curtain and looked down over his beautiful girl, suddenly all thoughts of pain fled his mind.

_Eleven months_, Callen thought. Eleven months away from Kensi. Eleven months since he had seen her. Eleven months since he had talked to her. Eleven months since he had held her in his arms. And eleven months since he had made love to her.

He threaded his fingers through hers and gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. It was unlike Callen to be so tender, but he couldn't stop himself. _What's happening to me?_, he thought.

But he didn't have time to think about it very long, as Kensi's heart monitor suddenly started beeping faster and faster. Callen watched the numbers on the screen climb rapidly, and he felt Kensi's fingers squeeze his. And then she coughed…and gasped…and sputtered, and before Callen even knew what was happening, a couple of nurses were herding him back to bed while a couple of other nurses huddled around Kensi.

Sam was on his feet in an instant, and he and Callen looked on helplessly as the hospital staff tried to keep Kensi under control. She was awake, but she couldn't stop thrashing, and Callen flinched as he watched them inject her with sedative.

As the drugs seeped into her, Kensi calmed down quickly. She lay back down against the pillows, and her breathing steadied, and slowly, she drifted back to sleep.

"Ahhh, you're okay, Kensi," the nurse said soothingly. "You just rest, my dear." When she turned around, she noticed Sam and Callen watching with great concern. "She'll be okay," she explained. "It's not uncommon for patients to wake up like that. The good news is that she woke up. We'll just keep monitoring her and evaluate her when she wakes up again in the morning." The nurse smiled encouragingly and left the room.

Sam turned to Callen. "You were supposed to stay in bed."

For some reason, Callen didn't feel like arguing. He obediently lay back in bed, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his entire body. Sam went back to his cot, and comforted by the steady sound of Kensi's heart monitor beeping in time with his, Callen finally fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Kensi stirred from her sleep quietly and found two men standing by her bedside. She blinked in confusion.

They both looked at her with concern, and then the one with the ice blue eyes spoke. "Hey, Kensi," he said softly. "How're you doing?"

"Okay," Kensi whispered hoarsely. She tried to clear her throat, but she realized that she still had tubes attached.

"The doctors say you're gonna be fine," the other man said. "And in a few days, we can take you home."

"Home?" Kensi croaked.

"Finally back to L.A.," the blue-eyed man said. Then he grinned. "I bet even Hetty missed us."

Kensi looked from one man to the other. "Who are you?"

Callen and Sam exchanged worried glances as they let that question linger for a moment.

"Sam and Callen," Sam replied warily.

Kensi's expression didn't change.

"We work with you at NCIS," Callen added.

Kensi looked at them blankly. "What's NCIS?"


	11. II:V When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Thank you all for reviewing about the plot twist in the last chapter! This next chapter went through so many revisions, and I'm still not too sure about the way it turned out. I hope you like it, and please let me know what you think. Thanks!**

* * *

**-V-**

"We'll keep her here for a couple of weeks and see how she progresses. We have an excellent short-term rehabilitation center, and our therapists will work with her daily…"

Callen could hear the doctor speaking, but he was barely listening. He also heard Sam trying to explain something to the doctor, but he didn't know what it was. The commotion of downtown Los Angeles resonated in the background, but he ignored the noise. Callen was completely lost in his own thoughts. He might have been standing in the waiting room of L.A.'s top neurology clinic, but his mind was still thousands of miles away…

He had spent another week in Russia, recovering in the hospital and helping Sam brief Director Vance on their mission. The entire cavern had collapsed and taken the whole missile system down with it. Sam had returned to the site and reported that there was only a giant crater in the earth, no traces of an attempted covert terrorist attack. With both entrances sealed and dissolved into the ground, the soldiers had been trapped and buried with their weapons. The undercover mission was finally complete.

But the cost was unlike any other. This one hurt Callen in a way he could not explain. He touched his chest gingerly, subconsciously aware of the stitches and every ounce of pain that they represented. But it wasn't all physical pain...something else hurt inside his chest. And even though the flesh wounds were healing quickly, maybe the scars would run much deeper this time.

Callen and Sam had spent days tracing the terrorist activity in Russia. They had spent weeks identifying the terrorists and tracking them down. They had spent months getting close to the members of the cell and gathering intel on the missile launch.

And then it had all come down to one moment.

_For some reason, they wanted him, not Sam. _He's a cop_, they yelled. There were so many of them...they tackled him to the ground…he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't run, he couldn't fight back against the restraints. He heard the metal shackles clinking around his wrists, and he felt the sting of a forceful strike against his jaw, and he could taste his own blood from a badly split lip. And then he heard one distinct voice above the others...their elusive ringleader: "Hello, Agent Callen." He knew that voice…it was deep and sinister, and then it moved close to his ear and whispered, "As you can see, it's not all about the oil anymore."_

It was a Russian mafia operation expanded into an international terrorist attack. It was the old connections to the oil industry that compromised his cover. And it was the rescue mission that brought Kensi across the world after him and consequently left her with no memory of him.

When the doctors had finally cleared them all to travel, it had been a long trip back from Russia. Kensi had been reluctant to board a plane bound for the other side of the world with two men that she didn't remember. But when Sam and Callen had laid out their NCIS badges next to hers, and she looked down at the photos of the three of them, something inside of her decided to trust them. They told her that they worked together as federal agents, and they just wanted to help her. They just wanted to take her home.

She still hadn't spoken much during the flight. Actually she had spent most of the flight sleeping, and Callen had to admit that he had spent most of the flight watching her. Watching over her, as if he couldn't bear to let her out of his sight.

As he glanced over at Kensi now, he could see the fear in her eyes. She was curled up in a chair in the waiting room, gazing out the window. She didn't know Callen anymore. She didn't even know who she was…and she had lost her memory while saving his life. He was the reason for her condition now.

"…and after that, we'll probably be able to send her back to work and try to integrate her back into her life."

"Thank you, doctor," Sam said.

"You're welcome."

As the doctor walked over to Kensi, spoke to her softly, and escorted her down the hall, Callen's eyes followed them. It wasn't until they had disappeared into one of the rooms that he turned to his partner. "You shouldn't have let her come," he said bitterly.

Sam was slightly taken aback by his tone. "Didn't have a choice," he replied defensively. He studied Callen's expression...of course he wouldn't say anything, but Sam was worried about his partner. He hadn't been the same since he woke up in the hospital, and there was something in his eyes that Sam had never seen before. "G," Sam said, trying to sound reassuring. "She'll be fine."

Callen didn't even attempt to come up with a witty response. "Yeah," he said. And then he walked off.

* * *

_TWO WEEKS LATER_

It was early morning, and Kensi was up and dressed and running a brush through her hair. As she studied her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but wonder who exactly she was staring at. _Who am I?_, she thought. The doctor said she was doing well after just two weeks. She knew her name, and she had some faint memories of her family and childhood. However, it was still mostly just fragments, loose ends, and blurry images that she couldn't connect.

And Kensi was frustrated. There was still one piece of her life that she could not remember anything about. She walked over to the dresser and picked up her badge. _NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye_, it read. The other agents, Sam and Callen, had left it for her. She sighed angrily. The photo looked like her, but she wished she could remember how to actually _be_ Special Agent Kensi Blye. She turned back to the mirror. _Will I ever remember?_, she silently asked her reflection.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at her door. She opened it and found John, one of the hospital aides, smiling at her warmly.

"Hi!" he said. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Sure," Kensi said. She followed him down the hall.

"Big day for you today, I hear," John said pleasantly. "Going back to work?"

"Yeah," Kensi said.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah," she admitted.

She followed John into the dining room, and an enticing aroma filled the air.

"Blueberry pancakes," he said. "I hope you like pancakes."

"I—" Kensi paused. For some reason, his words struck a chord inside her. What on earth was so special about blueberry pancakes?

John noticed the look on her face. "You remember something?" he asked.

"I—I'm not sure," Kensi said.

"Maybe you know how to whip up a mean blueberry pancake?"

Kensi considered that for a moment. "No," she finally said. "Not me. Someone else."

But try as she might, she couldn't remember who.

* * *

Kensi had just finished her breakfast when Sam arrived.

"Hey, Kensi," he greeted.

"Hi."

"You ready to go?"

"Um, yeah," she replied hesitantly.

Sam tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, we're all gonna try real hard to help you get your memory back."

She smiled a little bit. "Okay."

A short while later, as Sam pulled the car up to NCIS headquarters, Kensi strained her mind to remember, but she couldn't. It just looked like an old condemned building.

Sam noticed her confusion. "Welcome to NCIS," he said with a grin.

Kensi raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Wait until we get inside."

As soon as Sam opened the doors, Kensi's eyes went wide as she took in the hustle and bustle of NCIS headquarters. For all that it looked like an abandoned building on the outside, it looked like a top secret operation center hidden within a Spanish hacienda on the inside – which, from what Sam told her, was exactly what it was.

As Sam led her into the bullpen, she found three guys doing something that looked suspiciously like lounging around. Two of them were typing on their handhelds, and one was reading a comic book.

"Hey, Kensi," the tall one greeted. He was the one reading the comic book. "Welcome back."

"Kensi, this is Nate," Sam said. "He's our operational psychologist. Mostly that means he plays head games with us."

"Hey," Nate protested. "I've been working very closely with the hospital to help with Kensi's treatment."

Sam turned to Kensi. "That's not all that reassuring," he whispered sarcastically. Kensi smiled.

Sam continued the introductions. "And this is Dom…"

"Hi," the younger black man said.

"I hear he's your right hand man now," Sam said, nodding at Dom with approval. Hetty had informed him that while he and Callen were away in Russia, Dom had really grown up as an NCIS agent.

"My right hand man?" Kensi repeated.

"On investigations," Dom explained. "I just help you out. You're the boss lady." He grinned sheepishly.

"And this is Eric, our tech operator."

Kensi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the sandy blond-haired surfer dude.

"If you need any cameras hacked or any servers crashed, I am the man," Eric declared smugly.

"Feel free to smack him with a flip flop," Sam muttered.

Kensi laughed as Eric rolled his eyes.

Just then, Sam noticed the little lady coming up to stand next to Kensi.

"And this is Hetty, our operations manager," he said.

"Well, hello, dearie," Hetty greeted. "And where is your expense report?"

Kensi looked at the little lady blankly. "Expense report?" she echoed. Kensi did not know why, but she felt rather intimidated by the diminutive figure in front of her. It was a strange feeling. She looked at Sam helplessly.

Sam chuckled. "Come on, Hetty, give the girl a break. She doesn't remember how to do expense reports."

"I was hoping that would jog her memory," Hetty explained. She glared at Sam. "Meanwhile, what's your excuse?"

Sam opted to ignore that question. He looked around the bullpen. "Where's G?"

"Upstairs," Hetty replied. "Double homicide of two Marines an hour ago. They were acting as bodyguards for the CEO of L.A.'s number one technology corporation. I would suggest you all get to work and take Miss Blye with you."


	12. II:VI When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Thank you all for the reassurance on the last chapter! :) ****And now without further ado…**

* * *

**-VI-**

As the NCIS team filed into the ops room, they found Callen talking to Director Vance on screen. He turned to them all in greeting, but it did not go unnoticed that the moment Callen laid eyes on Kensi, he immediately turned his attention back to the screen.

"Two of the top technological companies about to merge," Director Vance was saying. "Two Marines dead and somehow related to that merger. I want to know who, and I want to know why. Eric, the footage is on its way."

Eric picked up his controller and clicked a few buttons. "All right, so what we have here is security footage from one of the five-star hotels in downtown L.A. The CEO and his wife just arrived this morning…they're holding a huge corporate banquet there tomorrow night."

On screen, the CEO and his wife were emerging from a limousine with the two Marines. The acting bodyguards were trying to shield them from the crowd and the media, and just as the limo started to pull away, rapid gunfire rang out. The crowd screamed and scattered, the CEO and his wife disappeared into the hotel, and both bodyguards crumpled to the ground…dead in an instant.

"Stop it right there," Callen said. "Eric, rewind and play it again in slow motion. What do we got?"

As the enhanced picture took form on the screen, the NCIS team saw two bullets strike each Marine in violently accurate killshots – and then two more bullets ricochet off the car harmlessly.

"The last two bullets changed course," Sam realized. "Because the car got in the way."

"If we trace the bullet trajectories…" Eric muttered, clicking away on his keyboard as red geometric lines popped up on the screen. "It brings us to a rooftop across the street. The shooter fired them all deliberately…he wasn't just aiming for the bodyguards."

"So the CEO and his wife were also targets," Sam concluded. "Why?"

"Eric, Nate, get me everything you can on those Marines, and the CEO and his wife," Callen said. "We're gonna take a look at that rooftop. Sam. Dom." He motioned towards the door.

Sam stood up, and so did Dom, but the younger agent looked surprised. "Don't you want to take Kensi?" he asked.

"Yeah, looking at a crime scene might help her remember," Eric chimed in.

Both of them glanced at Callen and immediately recoiled under his icy glare.

"Sam. Dom. Let's go," Callen repeated harshly.

Both Sam and Dom cast apologetic looks at Kensi as they headed out the door. Nate was watching Callen worriedly. Eric punched a few random buttons on the keyboard. And Kensi just felt small and confused. She kept her eyes focused on the floor and didn't say anything.

"Sorry, Kensi," Eric finally said. "You can help us dig up dirt on these guys," he offered cheerfully.

Kensi seemed to brighten a little bit. "Do I help you with that a lot?" she asked.

"Well, actually, no," Eric replied bluntly. "Usually you're out in the field with Callen and Sam."

Nate shot the computer tech a look. "We'll get you back out in the field, Kensi," he said reassuringly. "Maybe Callen just didn't want to stress you out on your first day back."

But actually Nate knew that wasn't the reason at all.

* * *

When Sam walked back into the bullpen after investigation of the crime scene, he found Hetty talking to Nate. They both looked at him expectantly.

"What's up with Callen?" Nate finally asked.

"Don't know," Sam replied in a grumpy tone. "He's…crazy."

"He won't even acknowledge Kensi," Nate observed.

Sam didn't answer but his eyes went cold, and his jaw set in a firm line.

"What … exactly happened in Russia?" Nate asked cautiously.

Sam's eyes darkened. He knew that no one had shared the full story about the mission, and Nate was looking for someone to fill in the gaps. He looked between Hetty and Nate and took a deep breath. "Kensi disarmed the last homing missile," he said softly. "She shut down their entire network, and then she pulled G outta there…by herself." Sam's face fell almost ashamedly as he relived the experience. "I—I couldn't get past the rock…it caved in…I don't know what happened, but somehow she got him out."

"So she saved Callen's life," Nate said.

"She saved the world," Sam added.

"And now she doesn't even remember it," Hetty finished sadly.

Almost in unison, the three of them glanced over at Kensi. She was sitting at her desk where Dom and Eric were trying to show her something on the computer. She looked okay, maybe slightly confused by the technical jargon. Nate chuckled. That was normal…none of the team ever quite knew what language Dom and Eric were speaking.

Someone else was watching her, too. From the top of the stairs, looking out over the balcony, Callen's blue eyes were trained on the brunette beauty who had stolen his heart.

Nate was the first to notice him, and he elbowed Sam, who also glanced up. Sam's eyes met his partner's, and Callen immediately turned away. In an instant, he was gone from the balcony, but Sam only needed that instant to see the pain in his eyes.

"He blames himself," Sam said profoundly.

"He does," Nate replied. "And being Callen, of course he doesn't want to talk about it."

"You're trying to get into his head," Hetty said.

Nate scoffed. "Yeah, it's like beating myself repeatedly against a giant rock."

"What about trying to get into his heart?" Hetty asked cryptically. With those words, the little lady turned and disappeared into her office.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, 'cause that'll be so much easier!" he called after her. He looked at Sam. "I'd need one massive homing missile to break the walls around Callen's heart."

Sam just shook his head. "He'll never let you in."

"No, he won't," Nate agreed.

* * *

Hetty decided that it was becoming a common occurrence to find Callen in the back hallway, staring into space. As she approached him, he didn't acknowledge her, and he didn't say a word or move a muscle. Hetty quietly sat down beside him and didn't speak for a few minutes.

Finally, he turned his eyes on her questioningly.

"It hurts you," Hetty began, "that she doesn't remember you."

Callen's eyes immediately dropped to the floor.

"She needs you," Hetty said gently. "But you're afraid."

Callen blinked in surprise. "I'm not afraid."

Hetty nodded knowingly. "Ah, I see, so you can chase down terrorists, disarm various weapons of mass destruction, and stare down the barrel of a gun with no fear, but you can't help a girl get her memory back." Hetty saw Callen's eyes look away, and she knew she had touched a nerve, so she pushed on with her monologue. "You have spent your entire life guarding your heart, Mr. Callen. And so has she. You both refuse to let anyone in because every time you do, in the end, it's never real." Hetty looked at him pointedly for her next words. "Until now."

Callen stayed silent, but Hetty could tell he was listening to her.

"You have won her heart," Hetty informed him. "And I suspect…unbeknownst to you, of course…that _she has won yours_." Hetty punctuated the last four words of that sentence.

Callen just scoffed. "Hetty, she doesn't even remember me. Besides, you know the rule—"

"I do know the rule," she interrupted. "And I'm not talking about 'dating a cop,' as you put it. No, no, no, no. I'm talking about a much deeper matter of the heart. And in dealing with matters of the heart, Mr. Callen, _there are no rules_."

Hetty paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. She looked at him expectantly, but he didn't say anything, and just when she thought that maybe he hadn't been listening after all, she heard him ask quietly, "Are you sure?"

"It's a thought," she replied gently.

Hetty stood up and prepared to leave. "Mr. Callen," she said. She paused again, waiting for him to look at her so that she could be absolutely certain he was listening this time.

When his eyes met hers, Hetty smiled. And then in a very soft, very motherly tone, she advised, "Let yourself love her."


	13. II:VII When She Woke Up in the Morning

**I'm so sorry this update took a little longer than usual! I wanted to make sure I knew where I was going with this, as it's the setup for the ending. Yes, we are almost to the ending! So I guess we could call this chapter the beginning of the end. Many thanks for reading and reviewing, as always!**

* * *

**-VII-**

Sunset fell on Los Angeles quickly that night, and the bullpen was quiet except for the low hum of Kensi's computer. Eric was showing her the latest version of facial recognition software, trying to identify a shadowy figure seen on the rooftop across the street from the hotel. She watched as one side of the screen dotted the man's face with red points and the other side rapidly searched through photo records.

"So if we input certain variables from all of his biometrics into the program," Eric explained, "the computer can use specific reference points and a complex algorithm to cross-reference the images with a database and…"

Eric trailed off as he realized that Kensi's eyes were beginning to glaze over. "Um, that's probably all you need to know about running facial recognition on the bad guys," he finished triumphantly.

Kensi smiled. "Thanks, Eric. I'm pretty sure I never knew that much about it before."

Eric looked surprised. "You remember that, huh?"

Kensi raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, never mind. So…is Sam taking you back to the clinic tonight?"

"I'll take her," came the voice from the top of the stairs.

Kensi and Eric looked up at Callen. He quickly descended the stairs and stopped in front of them.

"Dude, you sure?" Eric asked.

Callen's eyes locked on Kensi's. "Yeah," he said.

* * *

When Callen and Kensi arrived at the hospital, everyone was mostly settled in for the night. Patients were already asleep in their rooms, the hallways were quiet, and the night staff were just finishing up the first set of rounds. Just then, someone called out, "Hey, Kensi!"

Kensi turned around at the voice and waved at a handsome young man wearing scrubs and pushing a medical cart down the hall.

Callen looked at her curiously, and Kensi blushed. "That's John. He's one of the aides. He's nice…he kinda flirts with me."

At those words, Callen turned his head and eyed the young man heading in the opposite direction.

Kensi noticed his suspicious stare and gave him a funny look. "What?"

Callen quickly turned back to Kensi and forced himself to smother his fleeting moment of jealousy. "Nothing," he said.

As they reached the end of the hall, Kensi unlocked the door to her room and walked in. Callen hesitated at the entrance, taking a moment to look around. It was one of L.A.'s more upscale medical clinics, so the room was simple but still quite comfortable. There was a twin bed against the wall with a little wooden nightstand and dresser. A soft blue area rug stretched across the floor, and a small desk stood next to a wide, bright window with an amazing view.

Callen's eyes followed Kensi as she walked over to the window and looked out over Los Angeles. The streetlights reflected against the glass, showering her in a yellow glow, and suddenly he thought the City of Angels had never looked so beautiful. He could not tear his eyes from her.

As he watched her, she sat back on the windowsill and wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting motion. She looked small, sad, and fragile, nothing like the strong, independent woman that he had left so many months ago…nothing like the brave, capable NCIS agent who had pulled him out of an underground dungeon. Callen almost had to steady himself against the door frame as he felt his heart pound against his ribcage, and suddenly, he had the overwhelming urge to take Kensi in his arms and touch his lips to hers.

Instead, he crossed the blue rug and settled down on the windowsill next to her. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"Looks like they treat you well here."

"Yeah," Kensi replied. "Everybody's really nice."

But Callen could still see the sadness in her eyes. "What is it?"

Kensi didn't answer for a minute. "I've been here for two weeks," she finally said. "And there's still so much I can't remember."

"It'll come," Callen said softly.

Kensi shook her head. "I only remember bits and pieces. I have no idea how I got here, who I am, where I live, what I do…you tell me that I'm an NCIS agent, but I don't know how to be an NCIS agent."

"I should have taken you out in the field today," Callen said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Kensi sighed. "I wouldn't have been any use to you anyway. I don't remember anything."

Her voice cracked on the last word, and Callen could see the teardrops brimming on her eyelashes. He could not help himself, and as he reached up and gently brushed them away, Kensi's heart skipped a beat. _What is it about him?_, she thought. _Why does this feel so right…so familiar?_

"Callen…" she whispered. His name rolled off her tongue easily. His touch felt like fire. And when she looked in his eyes, she felt as if she had been electrified. And yet, she could not remember anything about him.

"…thanks for bringing me back tonight," Kensi finished shyly.

"Any time," he replied. There was a moment of silence, and then, without thinking, Callen reached over and tenderly swept a loose strand of hair away from her face, letting his fingers remain tangled in her tresses just a little longer than necessary. At the same time, his heart beat just a little bit faster, and his breathing became slightly irregular, and he could feel the heat igniting between them. He pulled back abruptly and swallowed hard. "I—I better go," he said. "Sam will pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Sure," Kensi said softly, suddenly wondering why she felt so cold at the loss of his touch. "Good night, Callen."

"Good night, Kensi."

And then he was gone. And for some reason, that seemed familiar to Kensi, too.

* * *

The next morning, Nate and Eric walked into the ops center and found Callen showing Kensi how to work the touch screen. Under his instruction, she carefully brought up a variety of menus and learned how to slide the photos back and forth.

Nate was shocked. "What happened?" he whispered to Eric. "Yesterday he wouldn't even look at her."

"He took her back to the clinic last night," Eric whispered back. "Guess they worked it out." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Nate decided that he wasn't even going to try to understand it. Nothing about Callen ever made psychological sense.

Just then, the sliding doors whooshed open, and Sam and Dom entered the room.

"CEO and his wife won't call it off," Sam announced. "They're throwing that party tonight."

"We get anything off the rooftop security cameras?" Callen asked.

"Yeah," Eric said. He pressed a few buttons and pulled up the footage of the suspect casing the rooftop. "We ran facial recognition on him last night…Kensi helped," he added. "And we found…this." He pointed at Dom.

"Russian assassin," Dom said, pulling up a variety of different photo IDs and aliases. "Looks like somebody followed you guys home."

"Somebody who's looking to mess with a corporate merger," Sam declared. "Put those two technology companies together, and it would be enough to rebuild a state-of-the-art missile system that was destroyed by … uh, some NCIS agents." He glanced at Kensi worriedly, but she was studying the screen and didn't respond. Then he stole a glance at Callen, and the two partners knew without speaking that she still had no recollection of Russia.

"So get rid of the company CEO," Dom summarized, "and his wife and his bodyguards. Then put your guy in at the top and have him sign off on the project—"

"And you're on your way to building a whole new army of multi-million dollar missiles," Sam finished.

"Great plan," Callen commented sarcastically, "but he missed his target."

"Guys," Eric exclaimed, typing rapidly on the keyboard. "Guys, he's booked on a plane leaving tonight…one-way to Russia."

Callen's eyes lit up with realization. "He's gonna make another hit then. At the hotel. Tonight."

Sam smiled. "Then it sounds like we're crashing a party tonight."


	14. II:VIII When She Woke Up in the Morning

**Crazy chapter ahead! There's also a small snippet of a song in here. I pictured Mariah Carey's latest version while I was writing, but feel free to imagine whichever version you'd like. And of course, I don't own the song either…I just thought it fit really well into the story. Thanks so much for reading! I hope you like it!**

* * *

**-VIII-**

Callen fidgeted nervously as Hetty buttoned the cufflinks on his tuxedo. "Is this really necessary?" he asked.

Hetty gave him a disapproving look. "Mr. Callen, you're supposed to be a wealthy CEO about to merge two of the top technological corporations in the world. I would suggest dressing like it."

"But do I have to take her?"

Hetty yanked him down to her level to adjust his bow tie. "You're also supposed to be happily married to an attractive young lady with long brown hair. In case you hadn't noticed, Sam doesn't fit that description."

Callen rolled his eyes. "Hetty, I don't know if she's ready—"

"You'll take care of her, Mr. Callen. And Sam and Dom will be there for backup. She'll be fine."

"Incoming!" they heard Eric yell from the top of the stairs.

Callen looked up to the balcony, and his breath caught. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was descending the stairs. Her sleek black dress sparkled in the light, hugging all of her perfect curves, and it swished around her ankles with a long, sexy split up the side. Her hair fell in cascading waves around her shoulders, and suddenly Callen longed to run his fingers through those silky brown locks again. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she smiled at him nervously, and Callen temporarily forgot to breathe. He couldn't speak.

"Just one more touch, dearie," Hetty said. The little lady opened a black jewelry box and pulled out the pearl necklace. Kensi bent down so that Hetty could fasten it around her neck, and as the clasp clicked, Kensi's eyes suddenly went wide.

"Are you okay?" Hetty asked with concern.

Kensi looked startled. "Yes," she said softly. "I just thought…I remembered something."

She stood up and smoothed her dress. It wasn't until that moment that Callen finally found his voice. "Ready?" he asked. He thought he sounded a little hoarse. He offered her his arm, and she took it hesitantly.

And as the two of them departed, Hetty smiled a knowing smile.

* * *

The gala was already in full swing when Callen and Kensi arrived. As they entered the hotel ballroom, Callen surveyed the scene. The room was aglow with the light from multiple candelabras and a magnificent crystal chandelier. The side balconies were decked out in extravagant finery, and there was a large crowd of wealthy couples in fancy clothes on the dance floor. The refreshment table stretched the length of the room and was filled with gourmet appetizers and entrees. Finally Callen's eyes fell on what he was really looking for: Sam standing guard at the front door and Dom covering the back door. He nodded at both agents almost imperceptibly and then turned to the beautiful woman at his side.

A soft ballad came over the sound system, and hesitantly, Callen offered his hand to Kensi. "Can I have this dance?" he asked softly.

She smiled shyly, and he led her out onto the dance floor. As his arms wrapped around her, Kensi couldn't help but feel that this was somehow familiar. It almost felt like she was remembering a fairy tale. The way they fit together, the way they moved together…she was so close to the memory, and she just couldn't quite grasp it. But even if she didn't know exactly why, she realized that she felt safe in Callen's arms, and it felt like somewhere she was supposed to be. And so with that thought, she allowed herself to relax into his embrace and sway to the song:

_Gonna take a little time_

_A little time to look around me_

_I've got nowhere left to hide_

_It looks like love has finally found me_

_I want to know what love is_

_I want you to show me_

_I want to feel what love is_

_I know you can show me_

_Is that what this is?_, Callen thought. _Is this what I want? _Why did it feel so right to hold Kensi in his arms? He felt as if he were drowning in her beautiful eyes. He could barely breathe…it was as if they were the only two people in the room. Slowly, he dipped his head…he was so close, he could almost taste her…he wanted to taste her…

"G, we got a situation here."

Callen heard Sam's words in his ear and immediately shifted into high alert. He could feel Kensi tense in his arms, and as he turned slightly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black figure perched on the highest balcony above, aiming a sniper rifle directly at his head.

"Get down!" he yelled. He knocked Kensi to the floor, shielding her body with his, and the shot went straight through the refreshment table as the other guests screamed and fled from the ballroom in a panic. In an instant, Callen was on his feet, his gun drawn, firing back at the balcony. The black figure took off running, diving behind the building pillars to dodge the bullets.

Callen's reflexes were about to send him flying in pursuit of the assassin, but Kensi's soft moan stopped him in his tracks. She lay on the floor, gasping for breath, as Callen slamming her into the ground had knocked the wind out of her. She touched a hand to her temple, as sharp pain rushed through her head. The sound of gunfire had set off a chain of memories, and this time, the images weren't so blurry anymore. She suddenly remembered an old warehouse, a printing press, and thousands of counterfeit bills. _Wait until we leave, then take care of 'em. _She remembered running for cover as bullets glanced off the metal shelving around her. She heard the criminal's threatening words and his vicious laugh. _I told you I'd kill you_. And she remembered Callen poised to take him down.

"Kensi?"

His voice broke into her memories. _Callen,_ she thought. _He has to go after him…he has to take him down_. "Go," she said firmly. "I'm fine. You have to go."

Callen hesitated, but he knew he was losing precious seconds off the chase, and she seemed okay as she motioned towards the balcony. He took one last look at her to reassure himself and just as he whirled around to follow the assassin, he heard Sam's yell:

"We got company!"

As if on cue, the giant double doors swung open and three more black-clad figures heaved Sam in through the entrance. Sam tumbled down the steps but immediately leapt to his feet with a growl. "Dom, secure that back door! Get everyone outta here! G, behind you!" he yelled.

Callen didn't have time to react before his arms were twisted and pinned behind his back. His head snapped to the side as a heavy fist came in contact with his jaw, and another pair of strong arms wrapped around his throat. But his attackers quickly released their grip as Sam's fists pummeled into their faces, and Callen slipped out of their chokehold and ducked as one of them took another swing at his head.

Callen caught the man's arm in mid-air and twisted it behind his back in a similar position to the one he had just held Callen in. The man sharply dug his elbow into Callen's chest and spun around, and in return, Callen landed a swift punch to his stomach, sending the attacker sprawling backwards onto the floor. Angrily, Callen grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and flipped him over. He wrenched the attacker's arms behind his back and whipped out his handcuffs.

Meanwhile, Sam was trading a series of punches, blocks, and kicks back and forth with the other one. He delivered a strong blow to the second assailant's head, and he forced the man to the ground and pointed a gun at his face. "Get down, and put your hands behind your back," he ordered. Sam rolled him over and smashed his foot into the man's back, holding him fast to the floor and quickly slapping on a pair of handcuffs.

Dom rushed back into the ballroom, his weapon drawn, but he lowered it as he found everything under control. "The entire building is evacuated," he reported. "LAPD is on their way for backup." He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Sam and Callen standing over the two men struggling on the floor. "But I guess you don't need any help in here."

Sam roughly pulled the two cuffed attackers to their feet. "Dom, get these two outta here," he muttered.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Sam caught sight of the black figure sprinting across the balcony. "G, gotta go now!" he yelled.

"Where's the third one?" Callen asked.

Sam nodded his head towards the balcony. "Getting away!"

"There was a third," Callen insisted.

And then he heard her cry of pain. A dark figure slunk out of the shadows and clamped a strong, heavy arm around her neck, dragging her backwards. She felt the cold, hard barrel of the gun pressing at her throat. She gasped, and she should have been shuddering in fear. But it wasn't fear wracking her body…it was memories. She remembered the sleazy lawyer hauling her through the train station in the same way, his arm wrapped around her throat and his gun secretly concealed under a newspaper. _NCIS has an undercover operator who can turn himself into anyone, at any time, for any reason. … __So either he shows his face right now, or I pull the trigger and leave you bleeding out all over that seat_. She remembered the way he gripped her hand just a little too tightly…and then the screaming and the gunfire and the final killshot. _Doesn't even have a real name…just Callen._

"Let her go."

The third henchman grinned wickedly beneath his dark black mask. "I don't think so," he spat. "You wanna watch this pretty little thing die?" He pushed his gun deeper against her throat, and Kensi coughed as it pressed against her windpipe, just starting to cut off her air.

Callen didn't say another word. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired it with deadly speed and accuracy. The grip around Kensi's neck loosened as her attacker convulsed from the force of the bullet. And then Callen shot him again. And again. And again.

As the smoke cleared, Callen dropped his arm to his side. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, and he could feel his heart pounding and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. It had been a moment of pure blind rage that he didn't even know he possessed. His eyes met Kensi's, and everything seemed to come to a standstill.

"G!"

Until Sam knocked him to the ground, flying into him at full force. As the two of them hit the floor, Callen felt another bullet just graze the side of his arm. It was close enough to slice through the skin, and he gritted his teeth in pain as he glanced down at the blood seeping through his tuxedo jacket.

"Hetty's gonna kill you," Sam informed him.

"Not if this guy kills us first."

The two of them scrambled to their feet and took off after the assassin disappearing into the stairwell.

Kensi saw the scene almost in slow motion. She knew she had seen that before. The version inside her head involved a fountain and a lot of water, but it was still Sam smashing into Callen to save his life..._save his life_...the words echoed in her mind. Why did they also send a sharp, shooting pain straight from her head to her heart?

"Dom, get Kensi outta here," Callen barked as he raced up the stairs. "Now!"

"Be right there," Dom's voice answered in his earpiece.

Callen and Sam couldn't even tell how many flights of stairs they climbed. They flung open the door to one of the corridors and came face-to-face with a fleeing assassin. He skidded to a halt and quickly veered in the opposite direction and headed for an alternative stairwell. He zipped through the doorway and slammed it shut behind him.

Sam threw himself against the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Deadbolt," he told Callen, punching his fist into the door in frustration.

They looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking. Sam went right, Callen went left. The two agents split in opposite directions, racing along the balcony, hoping to end the chase on the next floor.

The assassin was just about to open the door to the descending south stairwell when Sam flung it open from the other side, narrowly missing his head. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

The black figure immediately turned, fled to the north stairwell, opened the door, and found Callen's gun pointed at his face. "I don't think so."

The assassin took several steps backwards to the middle of the balcony. He looked first at Sam on one side and then glanced at Callen on the other.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," Sam threatened him.

The man quickly looked back and forth between Sam and Callen, weighing his options. Two armed federal agents closing in on him didn't give him much of a chance. He eyed the balcony railing.

"Don't do it…" Sam warned.

Both he and Callen rushed forward, but they were just a split second too late. Before they could stop him, the assassin somersaulted off the side of the balcony and slid down to the ground floor on a parachute of elegant white lace decorations.

"They always pick the hard way," Callen muttered.

Partially hidden away in the shadows, Kensi watched the scene unfold before her in amazement. The assassin used the entire array of decorations like a jungle vine to plunge safely from the top of the balcony. As he landed softly and emerged completely unharmed from the pile of fabric, Kensi caught a glimpse of his beady black eyes. He quickly glanced up at Callen and Sam and found himself staring down the barrels of their weapons. He leapt to his feet and somehow managed to evade the shower of bullets that rained down from the balcony above.

He dashed for the front door, and it swung open as Dom entered with his gun drawn. The assassin swiftly drew his rifle from the scabbard on his back and opened fire. Dom immediately dropped to the ground and rolled behind a table to dodge the shots. "Callen, I can't get to him!" he yelled. With one agent trapped beneath the furniture and the other two still racing down the stairs from the balcony, the assassin reveled in the clear escape route laid out in front of him.

_No...he'll get away_, Kensi thought.

She felt something stirring inside of her. The feeling was so strong that she could almost feel her entire body shaking. It was so familiar…something she knew so well…she could almost remember…

* * *

The assassin fled for the front door as fast as he could. He quickly glanced behind him, and in the split second that his attention was diverted, he was slammed into the ground by a flying person. Kensi launched herself into him, and she heard a satisfying crack as her fist smashed into the assassin's jaw. _I remember this_, she thought. She remembered tackling a paranoid militia man into the ground, and she remembered tackling a naval officer into a Chinatown fruit stand. The details were a little fuzzy, but she guessed that she must have taken down many a suspect in a similar fashion. _Like a cheetah on a springbok_.

The assassin came at her from behind, locking his arms around her throat. She violently thrust an elbow in his face and heard his howl of pain. She backed up into the wall and smashed him against it, temporarily stunning him and making it easy to flip him over her shoulder.

He landed hard but jumped to his feet, throwing a series of rapid punches at her head. Kensi ducked one fist and then another, and then her attacker doubled over as she gave him a well-aimed knee in the stomach.

Kensi was breathing hard, and she was almost high on the adrenaline rush. It was like the neurons in her muscles were suddenly firing in memory of hand-to-hand combat.

And then something else triggered a memory. Hidden beneath her silky black dress, Kensi realized that she felt cold metal against the side of her leg. She only had a couple of seconds as the assassin tried to shake off the sting in his midsection, but in that moment, Kensi reached down and drew her gun from its holster.

She raised the barrel of the gun level with the assassin's heart and stared down her attacker. "Don't move," she ordered. She was surprised at her confident tone. _What am I doing?_, she thought frantically.

The assassin could sense her hesitation. He leapt to his feet and knocked her gun from her hand with a furious high-kick. As Kensi staggered sideways, he smashed his sniper rifle into the side of her head, hurling her to the ground.

Kensi lay on the floor, desperately trying to catch her breath for the second time that night. Her weapon lay just out of her reach, and she heard her attacker back up a few steps and cock the sniper rifle. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to withstand the throbbing pain in her head. She felt like the earth was shaking beneath her, she felt like the walls were caving in around her…but it wasn't fear…it was a memory. Kensi's eyes shot open, and as she saw her attacker raise the rifle and take aim, she lunged to the side in one last effort to reach her gun. As her fingers closed around the trigger at the very last second, she flipped over and rapidly double tapped the assassin in the heart.

It was a mirror image of Russia. Kensi screamed in pain and closed her eyes as the memories came flashing back to her. She remembered the secret mission, and the underground cavern, and the homing missiles, and the explosions, and the soldiers. And then she remembered Callen…because somehow he always managed to make his way into her memories. She saw him shackled to the wall, and she saw herself shooting his captor, unlocking his chains, and dragging him out of the exploding cavern. And then…at last…her mind uncovered the deeper memories. She saw the way they worked together at NCIS, with Sam and Hetty and the others…she saw the investigations and the interrogations, the crime scenes and the shootouts, the high-speed chases and the undercover surveillance…

At that moment, the object of her thoughts came racing down the stairs. He checked the pulse of the assassin, and there was none. "Clear," he told Sam through his earpiece. And then he turned and knelt on the floor next to Kensi. "You okay?" he asked breathlessly.

Kensi could feel his eyes raking over her with worry, and as his hand touched hers, the physical contact sparked a completely different type of memory. In wonder, she looked down at their entwined fingers and suddenly recalled another kind of physical entanglement inside his sleeping bag. She saw the quiet evenings together, the shared glasses of wine, the soft kisses, the tender touches, and…the lovemaking…

"Callen," she whispered. "I remember."

He wasn't sure he heard her right. His eyes looked at her questioningly.

"I remember everything."


	15. II:IX When She Woke Up in the Morning

**And so we have come to the final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and for your alerts and favorites and comments. I really appreciate all of them, and I'm absolutely thrilled that you liked the story. I have very much enjoyed writing it, and the characters of Kensi and Callen have really continued to grow on me. After this, I'm going to take a break to catch up on reading and reviewing some of your stories…I know I am way behind!**

**And so now I present to you…the ending. I hope you like the way everything turns out. If you have a moment, please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks again!**

* * *

**-IX-**

It was very late by the time Callen and Kensi returned to her apartment that night. Kensi hesitantly turned the key in the lock, wondering what awaited her on the other side of the door. It had been weeks since she had been there, and it felt like an entire lifetime. But as she stepped in the door and surveyed her living room, she felt her fears melt away, and she smiled as it appeared the place was exactly the way she left it.

Except for one difference. Tonight she finally had Callen standing beside her. It had been almost a year since they had shared the apartment…since they had both called it home. They stood in the doorway for a moment, in silence, neither one entirely sure what to say to the other. Then he moved closer to her and brushed a tendril of loose hair away from her face. He brought his hand to her cheek, and Kensi leaned into his touch.

"When you say you remember everything," he began, his voice low and husky, "does that mean…everything?"

"Yes," she answered softly.

"Like this?" He kissed her forehead. "And this." He kissed her cheek. "And…this." His lips softly brushed hers.

"Yes," she murmured against his lips.

As he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened his kiss, Kensi felt a delicious heat spreading throughout her body. It was a fire that only Callen could light and whose flames she had been craving for so long.

She broke the kiss only to lead him down the hallway to her bedroom. Not the guest bedroom this time, but hers. She wanted him…needed him…in her bed tonight. As she pushed open the door, she was surprised to find the room illuminated in a beautiful silver glow. It wasn't often that a perfect full moon lit up the Los Angeles sky, and Kensi suddenly wondered what Callen's eyes would look like reflected against the moonlight. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close for a long, deep kiss. Then without further hesitation, she led him across the threshold and quietly closed the door behind them.

* * *

As Callen settled back against the pillows, he pulled Kensi with him. His lips danced with hers, as his fingers twisted around the bottom hem of her shirt, holding her close. Suddenly he couldn't get enough of her…it had been too long. In one smooth, swift motion, he pulled her shirt over her head, desperate for the sensation of her skin against his. He gently rolled her over and kissed her softly, taking a moment to gaze at the beautiful woman beneath him…her hair draped over the pillow, framing her face in soft waves, her lips hungrily seeking his, and her entire body flushed with desire for him. Callen closed his eyes and savored her taste, her touch, her heat…everything that had melted his heart. He didn't know exactly when it had happened. Maybe it was when he was chained to the wall in Russia, losing hope that he would ever come home to her. Or maybe it was long before then. Maybe it didn't matter anymore…

Kensi could barely breathe as Callen's hands brushed against her sides. At every touch, she could feel the sparks of electricity. Quickly, she flipped them over again so that she could divest him of his own shirt. And then, for the first time in almost a year, her eyes drank in the sight of the man she was falling in love with. Even in the darkness, she could see the jagged streaks that scarred his chest, and she ran her hands lightly over his bare skin, tracing the knife wounds. Then she softly lowered her lips to the ugly gashes, wondering if she could heal the pain with a simple kiss. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she almost had to look away again. His blue eyes were burning with such intensity that Kensi was sure they could pierce a hole right through her.

It wasn't long before the rest of their clothes were discarded. Their hands caressed each other's bodies, remembering the sensations, completely in awe of the other without clothes. As Callen's fingers ran through her hair and his lips brushed against the sensitive hollow of her throat, the only coherent thought that crossed Kensi's mind was how she ever could have forgotten this. From the steamy, passionate kisses to the sensation of Callen inside of her, the memory of that night so many months ago was almost mind-blowing. He remembered, too. His hands and his lips were touching all the right places to set her on fire. And so tonight, as their bodies joined in the most intimate of ways, tangled between the sheets, Kensi wondered if she could hold onto this memory forever.

As he moved deep within her, driving himself to the center of her core, Kensi almost didn't hear his voice, soft and sensual and laced with reciprocated desire for her.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

"For what?" she asked breathlessly.

"For saving my life."

Kensi couldn't speak as his lips grazed her ear and trailed a line of hot kisses down her neck. Her breath was coming in short, ragged bursts, and she closed her eyes as waves of pleasure shot through her entire body.

"You're welcome," she managed to whisper, before his lips claimed hers again.

No more words were needed after that, as Callen and Kensi went crashing over the edge of ecstasy together.

* * *

Later that night, Kensi awoke to find herself wrapped in Callen's arms. She shifted slightly so that she could face him, and she smiled as she watched him sound asleep next to her. A shiver ran up her spine, as she remembered how he had made slow, sweet love to her until they were both completely and utterly satiated.

She gently trailed her hand alongside his cheek, memorizing the curve and the scruff of his jaw. She touched his lips with her finger, and then leaned over to kiss him softly.

"Mmmm," he murmured groggily.

"Shhhh," Kensi whispered. "I just want to make sure I never forget you again."

She brushed her fingers against his face once more and then settled back into his arms. With Callen's handsome image burned into her mind, Kensi finally drifted off to sleep again. She had surrendered her heart completely to the man who lay beside her. And this time, she knew, he would still be there when she woke up in the morning.


End file.
